The Power of Helping Others

On Letting Go, Compassion, and Art for Sharing

How wild has 2024 already been?

Lunar Eclipse

Earth Quake

Solar Eclipse

Solar flairs

Northern Lights

Pluto is back in Aquarius for the first time in 226 years

Cicada double emergence for first time in 200 years

It’s been almost magical—all these events happening. Synchronicities abound. The energy is palpable. Are you feeling it? (now, Mr. Krabs)

On Compassion

I’m eight weeks into this in-person meditation workshop and I want you to know it’s pretty much changing my life and the way I see the world. The course is focused compassion and defines compassion as the wish to relieve suffering and its cause, coupled with the urge to do something about it.

In the class we meditate (naturally) but it’s much more than following the breath. We do visualizations in which we picture someone we are fond of and try to send them positive energy: may you be happy, may you have ease, may you be comfortable, etc. We also do this for people we don’t know, and people we aren’t fond of.

It’s the same as prayer if you really break it down, but prayer has such a bad stigma in our culture—especially among people my age—so I’m not going to call it that.

I’ve done these exercises several times for people in my life and, in two instances, I came to learn only days later that they we’re experiencing suffering and really needed this positive energy in their life—and I had no idea! It makes me feel like I am tapped into something greater, but also that I have the power to help someone. We all have the power to help someone. And it doesn’t need to be through prayer or meditation. It can be a simple act. What does that look like?

It starts with listening and noticing those around you. Basic stuff like holding the door for someone, asking how someone’s day is going, doing those reviews/surveys that cashiers are always asking us to do. Start small.

I’ve started asking myself: where in my day can I help someone, where can I be friendly? And this mentality has really brought me out of my post-covid shell and has given me the energy to live a more fulfilling life. The other day I gave a stranger a ride. Probably not the safest thing to do, and it’s not the first time I’ve done it. But Bill needed a lift. Hope you’re well Bill.

Hope you’re well.

Putting the Selfless into “Self Care”

“We’re all busy” is a tired phrase that sums up our culture. My generation is really hip to self-care and mindfulness, but I sometimes feel self-care is too much about the self. Self-care to me is a massage or a cozy meal on the couch. But it gets equated with mindfulness. “You need to practice mindfulness to be the better you” is a toxic idea but it’s all over my instagram feed.

Mindfulness should not be treated as an individual activity even if meditation is done in isolation.

In class we begin by making an intention. And the intention is always the same: may the effects of this practice spread to all those around us and continue to spread.

Instead of turning inward maybe it helps to turn our inside outward.

Thoughts?

Art for Sharing

If you live close or are a friend I see on the reg, I’d like to give you a painting on loan. Meaning: you hold onto it until it sells or gets in a show. I really just want the stuff I make to be enjoyed. I enjoy making it but I also enjoy sharing it with others. If a painting brings you joy then I want you to experience that. So let me know if you see something you like. Really, price doesn’t matter. You get to put it on your wall. I’m already doing this with many friends, but wanted to extend it to more people. These are some particularly big ones that need a home…

Recommendation Corner

Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee—album of the year candidate

Where we’ve been, where were going from here by Friko—album of the year candidate

Illinoise Broadway Musical based on the album Illinois by Sufjan Stevens—brought me right back to the homeland

Seven / Pitiful by Saosin—Just saw Sunny Day Real Estate with my buddy Jeff and I repped my Circa Survive shirt…cool to hear a few days later that Saosin covered Sunny Day

Vaya by At the Drive-in—Been returning to music from my youth and this was a touchstone

Young Professional by Nick Rossi—keep it around for the telemarketers

Liberation Day by George Saunders—particularly the story “My House”

Be Here Now by Ram Das—required reading

“Duck’s first day of work at the portal barn” up at Holding Space in Kingston, NY

Upcoming

Group Show at Holding Space opening 5/24—we’ll be there Saturday afternoon

Pine Bush UFO Fest 6/1—come hang

Lauren and I move into a new home upstate ~6/30—it’s happening!!!

Pics of Kodi

Top left: greenie tied in a towel for enrichment

Bottom left: a well earned greenie atop Mnt. Beacon

Top right: sleeping in the closet bc storms are scary

Bottom right: new author photo